HDR architectural shots (56K warning)

Hi All,

Last Friday I went out to take pictures of the new Health & Professional Careers building for Kaskaskia Community College in Centralia, IL. The 45,000 square foot building houses many programs including: nursing, dental assisting, physical therapy, child care facilities, cosmetology and a few others. I'm an architect for the firm that designed the building so I'm lucky enough to get the photo gigs! I got 16 pictures for the day, but I thought these were the cream of the crop. Comments and criticisms welcome.

All shots were taken with a Sony A100 and Minolta 11-18 lens. All interior shots are a HDR composite of 2-4 exposures and blended/edited in CS2. Several shots make use of supplemental strobes. Exterior shots are single exposures.















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Where is the gardener to fill in the grass. Looks like they spent
a lot on the building and forgot the importance of the 1st thing you
see which is an inviting entrance.

I think you should really hire a pro for at least one try at this. The shots
you have here are a bit too amateur and lack the interest a pro might
bring to the table. They are ok for record keeping if that was your goal,
but are not inviting enough to make them interesting if you are trying
to attract clients. I suppose health clients come anyway without need
for glitz or attractive and decor in a building.

I am lucky enough to live in a town where the local hospital put
millions into art and gardens and it really pays off for those that
stay or visit. I recently spent two weeks and was able to go out
in both interior and outside gardens. It makes all the difference in
the coarse of treatment when you have a beautiful environment over
plain and rather sterile industrial looking architecture.

I know the powers that be try to cut corners on design and think that
saves money. Its the American way but your firm might consider adding
some interest in the form of art and design and something for the eye
and soul to ponder while spending time in your buildings.

Shadows in the entrance (exterior) are way too dark still. Interiors look pretty good but still could use a little more shadow detail, some uneveness in lighting could be fixed in PP using layers. Just does not pop yet. Don't forget you can blend back parts of your original files with the finished HDR file if needed. Good job with your camera positions. Just my opinion.
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Sincerely

Ron J

Good job on these. We also shoot interiors for our portfolio and understand the limitations of time, budget and access. Lucky to get shots without clutter or people. Must have timed it just right. Have to go back for exteriors when the landscaping is finished. But the interiors will never be this pristime again. Shooting these outside of a hired photographer can sometimes be the only way shots like this are available. Unless the client wants to pay for it. We have been in this circumstance so many times. Perhaps one day between construction and move-in. Gotta move fast and shoot as best possible. I think you have done an outstanding job and am inspired to use more HDR.

AlteredLight said:

Where is the gardener to fill in the grass. Looks like they spent
a lot on the building and forgot the importance of the 1st thing you
see which is an inviting entrance.

Click to expand...

The grass in front is bit sparse, there is another construction project going on just outside the view of this shot (see the lobby shot thru the windows). Final landscaping won't be done for several years till that project is complete.

AlteredLight said:

I think you should really hire a pro for at least one try at this.
The shots
you have here are a bit too amateur and lack the interest a pro might
bring to the table. They are ok for record keeping if that was your
goal,
but are not inviting enough to make them interesting if you are trying
to attract clients. I suppose health clients come anyway without need
for glitz or attractive and decor in a building.

Click to expand...

I agree they definately lack that awesome "pop" that many better pros have. We have used Hedrich Blessing before on several very high profile projects unfortunately this one doesn't have the budget for a $20K photo shoot. Is it more my processing and the tone or is it more compositional and content items that it's lacking...or both? I'm by no means pretending to be a pro at this but am always looking to improve.

AlteredLight said:

I am lucky enough to live in a town where the local hospital put
millions into art and gardens and it really pays off for those that
stay or visit. I recently spent two weeks and was able to go out
in both interior and outside gardens. It makes all the difference in
the coarse of treatment when you have a beautiful environment over
plain and rather sterile industrial looking architecture.

I know the powers that be try to cut corners on design and think that
saves money. Its the American way but your firm might consider adding
some interest in the form of art and design and something for the eye
and soul to ponder while spending time in your buildings.

Click to expand...

I didn't work on this project personally but I know what you mean. We've done some college projects that are just awe-inspiring with the finer details and materials, this one is rather plain-jane by comparison.

Thanks for the comments.
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Ronj2 said:

Shadows in the entrance (exterior) are way too dark still. Interiors
look pretty good but still could use a little more shadow detail,
some uneveness in lighting could be fixed in PP using layers. Just
does not pop yet. Don't forget you can blend back parts of your
original files with the finished HDR file if needed. Good job with
your camera positions. Just my opinion.
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Sincerely

Ron J

Click to expand...

Thanks. I may try some other versions with lighter shadows. Some of my past posts on this have had comments about lack contrasts and shadow tone so I went heavier on the dark this time. It's tough to find that fine line of lack of contrast and lack of detail.

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http://www.pbase.com/gipper51/root
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Redo the outside with HDR and PP the interiors shots a little more for better wow factor. I think you can get it close enough to justify not paying a pro.

Of course part of the package of hiring a pro is his or her PP skills as well. The important thing is the end result.

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Sincerely

Ron J

Not that my PP skills are so great but I opened up the shadows some.



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Sincerely

Ron J

Getting a clean clutter-free set of shots like this, between the job being finished and the people moving in, is damn near impossible. Usually, the client is moving in before the job is finished. Ignore the pompous rubbish about the landscaping, you can go back and do that later if need be. Besides, I guess it is still winter in illinois?

I thought they turned out very nice.

My only comment/ question is have you considered taking the main exterior shot at dusk or night and would the change minimize any of the bare spots that don't have grass. I noticed exterior lights and wondered if the dusk or night shot would be more dramatic and minimize the lack of landscaping.

Donna K

Are you using true HDR with Photomatix (or similar) and then tonemapping it back to visible, or are you maually blending these to get what you want? Either way they look pretty good although a bit too cool (clinical) for my tastes.

As someone else pointed out they aren't very inviting and I think the color temps are part of it.

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